Gardeners can’t control mother nature, but they can take steps that will make the difference between a poor tomato harvest and their biggest and best harvest yet.

Milwaukee, WI (PRWEB)May 15, 2015

Nothing beats the flavor of fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes, but growing tomatoes as well as other vegetable gardening can be a challenge depending on the weather and other factors. “Gardeners can’t control mother nature, but they can take steps that will make the difference between a poor tomato harvest and their biggest and best harvest yet,” says Melinda Myers, host of the How to Grow Anything: Food Gardening for Everyone DVD. Myers suggests the following to insure a bountiful harvest of delicious tomatoes this season:

Reduce pest problems and increase the tomato harvest by growing them in a sunny location with well-drained soil or in a quality potting mix for container gardens. Improve garden soil by adding several inches of organic matter to the top eight to twelve inches of soil prior to planting. Compost, aged manure, and other organic materials help improve drainage in heavy clay soil and increase the water-holding ability of sandy soil.

Add a slow release, organic nitrogen fertilizer like Milorganite according to the label directions at the time of planting. Slow release fertilizers provide a constant diet that is better for the plants and less work for gardeners. Save more time by mixing the fertilizer into the soil when incorporating the organic matter. Then give plants a midseason boost as needed.

Once the soil is prepared, wait for the air and soil to warm to plant tomatoes. Planting too early when the soil is still cool and the nights are chilly can stress the plant and delay the harvest.

Plant tomatoes slightly deeper or in a trench for better rooting. Trench tomatoes by digging a shallow trench about three to four inches deep. Remove the lower leaves and lay the plant on its side in the hole. Roots will eventually form along the stem. Carefully bend the stem, so the upper leaves will be above the soil. Fill the trench with soil and water.

Stake or tower tomatoes to reduce insect and disease problems and make harvesting easier.

Determinate tomatoes (look for the D on the tag) grow a certain height and stop. They work well in towers, containers or even hanging baskets. Indeterminate tomatoes, labeled with an I, keep growing taller, producing more flowers and fruit until the end of the growing season. These do best when grown on tall sturdy stakes or extra tall strong towers.

Towering tomatoes is easy. Simply place the tower over the tomatoes at planting. Tomatoes grown in towers produce a larger, but later harvest than staked tomato plants.

Allow a bit more time if you decide to stake the plants. Place the stake in the ground at planting. Be careful not to injure the roots. As the plants begin to grow, prune off all side branches, suckers, that develop between the main stem and leaves. Loosely tie the remaining one or two stems to the stake. Cloth strips, twine or other soft ties work well. Keep tying up the plants as they continue to grow. Staked tomatoes produce the earliest and smallest harvest.

Check new plantings every few days and water often enough to keep the developing root system moist. Reduce frequency as plants become established. Water established plants thoroughly whenever the top few inches of soil are slightly moist. Mulch the soil with evergreen needles, shredded leaves or other organic mulch to keep the soil consistently moist and suppress weeds. Consistent soil moisture encourages more flowering and fruiting, while reducing the risk of blossom end rot, cracking and misshapen fruit.

Harvest tomatoes when they’re fully colored. Leave them on the plant an extra five or six days for even better flavor. Unfortunately, the animals often move in and feast on the ripening fruit. In this case, finish ripening tomatoes indoors.

Once gardeners taste that first red ripe tomato, they’ll be looking for more sunny spots to place container gardens or an expansion to the garden, allowing for extra vegetable gardening space next season.

Gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Can’t Miss Small Space Gardening and the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything: Food Gardening For Everyone” DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment segments. Myers is also a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Myers’ web site, http://www.melindamyers.com, offers gardening videos and tips.